Jodhpur sick day

Watched Yogi on Netflix because they didn't have Padmaavat M 2018 ‧ Romance/Action ‧ 2h 44.

This movie is a tear jerker where all the important characters die eventually, at just the wrong time, to melodramatic perfection. 

Went to the fort. It is huge, crowns the top of a hill.  

It overlooks the town. 

It looks amazing from all angles. It's built from the local stone.

Clearly the difficulty of the gates mean this fort must have held well against invaders.

The interior must have been luxurious.

There were a collection of litters to carry Royal family in comfort. Must have been hell for the footmen to carry up into the fort. 

The patterns here on the windows are about 5cm deep. The shutters have thick patterns that provide privacy, but allow the residents to look outside quite easily.

Inside there are many luxurious rooms and apartments gathered around some distributed courtyards. It would be a pleasure to live in such nice surroundings. 

I found a money exchange in the fort. The guy said he'd be there until 5.30. I contacted Nanda to offer to exchange the euros she got given. I said to the money man, I'll be back. I walked to Nanda's, then ran all the way back up  hill again. 

Got there 5.27pm, The guy in the next booth said the money guy waited as long as he could. Fk this place sometimes. Ran up to a Tuktuk but this guy said banks shut at 5pm. So finally back to Nanda's again after doing the Rocky Balboa run right around.

I offer to give her 6,200 odd, whatever the money man had offered, but she Googles it and says it should be 6,400. Anyway, I hand over 6400.

She gives a strong herbal milk chai,  fantastic. She tells me that many women don't meet their husbands before the wedding day. Then suddenly they're in bed with a stranger. "Well, you can imagine." Her mother got married at 13. She'd only just had her period. Eeeek, the pain. Nanda got married at 21? I think 🤔, young anyhow. 

Image left: I like these private courtyards inside the palace. It must have been amazing to live here.

I say her husband must be nice and advanced since she is independent with her shop. She said no, she had to make a deal. He said that she must cook, clean, get the kids homework done, do the pooja (religious rituals to clean bad spirits or something) etc first. Only then is she allowed to go do her NGO.

When a husband dies, he expects his wife to kill herself so that only he would ever have been with her. Typically that would be on a funeral pyre. Not sure of the logistics.

Caste etc still happens, especially in rural areas. 

She knows some amazing dancers in Jaisalmer and would like me to get them out to perform,  for their self esteem and to see outside their own world. 

I skipped dinner. I want a full stomach reset!!

Breakfast is at the home stay before rolling out to Pali.